Broadband systems provide telecommunications providers with many benefits, including greater bandwidth, more efficient use of bandwidth, and the ability to integrate voice, data, and video communications. These broadband systems provide callers with increased capabilities at lower costs.
Telecommunications systems often have a hierarchy of switching systems for connecting calls through local and long distance networks. Typically, a series of edge switching systems connect to a more core-type switching system. The edge switching systems connect calls to the core switching system, and the core switching system connects calls to another edge switching system. These core-type switching systems are sometimes referred to as tandem switches.
FIG. 1 illustrates such a prior system which has two edge switches 102 and 104 and a tandem switch 106. It will be appreciated that the first edge switch 102 transmits the call to the tandem switch 106, and the tandem switch 106 transmits the call to the edge switch 104.
Typically, tandem switching systems do not provide distributed call processing and call connecting functions. In these systems, the switching matrix is co-resident with the call processing. Thus, a system is needed for providing distributed call processing.
In addition, prior systems do not provide telephony call services. Moreover, a tandem-type switching system is needed for asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) call connection systems. Increased speed and efficiencies of cost and processing time can be realized by such a system. The present invention fulfills these needs.